Tale of Timothy Turtle — Chapters 22-23

XXII THE UNWELCOME GUEST

Ferdinand Frog did not like Timothy Turtle.

But he always said he thought Mr. Turtle could be _trusted_.

"You can _depend_ on him," Mr. Frog often remarked.

"Yes, you can depend on him to grab you if he ever gets a chance."

And all the rest of the musical Frog family agreed with him.

It is not surprising, therefore, that they never invited Timothy Turtle to attend their singing parties in Cedar Swamp.

It made no difference how much Timothy Turtle hinted.

Though he frequently took pains to tell Ferdinand Frog how fond he was of music, Mr. Frog never once asked him to come to a concert.

In private Mr. Frog and his friends often spoke of Mr. Turtle--and giggled.

And one of the Frog family even made up a song about Timothy Turtle, which the whole company loved to chant in Cedar Swamp, safe--as they thought--from Timothy's snapping jaws.

But one fine summer's evening they had a great surprise.

They had scarcely begun their nightly concert when Timothy Turtle appeared, out of the water and crawled upon an old stump, right in their midst.

"Good evening!"

he cried.

"I was just passing on my way home; and hearing the singing, I thought I'd stop and enjoy it."

For a few moments none of the Frog family said a word.

And then Ferdinand Frog spoke up and asked Mr. Turtle a question: "Have you had your dinner?"

"No, I haven't," Timothy answered.

"But you needn't trouble yourselves on my account.

Go on with your singing.

And if I feel faint no doubt I can find a bite to eat hereabouts."

Now, Mr. Turtle hoped that his speech would put the singers quite at their ease.

But they looked at one another and rolled their eyes as if to say, "This Timothy Turtle is a dangerous person.

Look out for him!"

At the same time they did not wish to appear frightened.

And Ferdinand Frog's mother's uncle even made a short speech, saying that he hoped Mr. Turtle would enjoy the singing half as much as everybody else enjoyed his company.

He was about to make some further remark.

But no one knew what.

For Timothy Turtle wheeled about to look at the old gentleman.

And the moment Timothy moved, Ferdinand Frog's mother's uncle jumped hastily into the water from the hummock where he had been sitting, and swam away.

The rest of the company then sang a song.

And their listener said that he had never heard anything like it.

"I wish you'd sing it again," he said, "with your mouths open and your eyes shut."

But the musical Frog family objected that they were not used to singing in that fashion.

"Why don't you keep your own eyes shut?"

Ferdinand Frog asked Mr. Turtle.

"Then you wouldn't know whether ours were open or closed."

"Let us _all_ shut our eyes!"

Timothy Turtle then suggested.

And when the Frog family began another song, a few of the younger and more foolish singers followed Mr. Turtle's advice.

So, too, did Mr. Turtle himself--_for a few moments_.

But he soon opened his eyes slyly.

And he became very angry when he saw that most of the singers were watching him.

"You aren't doing as I asked you!"

he shouted.

XXIII A MERRY SONG

Timothy Turtle made such a noise that the Frog family had to stop singing.

"It's not fair!"

he cried.

"You're peeping!"

"Well, so are you!"

Ferdinand Frog retorted.

"I only opened my eyes to make sure that you were doing as I asked you to," Mr. Turtle replied with an injured air.

"And we didn't shut ours, because we wanted to watch _you_," said Mr. Frog.

"Can't you trust me?"

Timothy snapped.

"Certainly!"

Ferdinand Frog replied.

"Oh, yes!

We can trust you!"

And he winked at his friends.

"You don't want to hurt my feelings, do you?"

Timothy Turtle went on.

"No, indeed!"

everybody exclaimed.

And then Ferdinand Frog told Timothy that they would sing a special song in his honor.

"Fire away!"

Timothy ordered them.

And the whole company knew, when he said that, that if he really cared anything at all for singing he never would have spoken of it in that fashion.

They were just about to begin the song when Timothy Turtle stopped them.

"What's this thing called?"

he demanded.

"It's known," Ferdinand Frog explained, "as 'A Merry Song.'

" And then the whole Frog family began to bellow their loudest: Come let us sing a merry song!

To you it may sound sad.

And if you think it loud and long _We_ think that it's not bad.

"We'll sing about a grumpy one Who snaps and bites all day.

And if you call that "having fun" We make reply, "Go 'way!"

He has a glittering, wicked eye And also cruel jaws.

And if you ask the reason why, We'll answer you, _"Because!"

_ He'll stretch his neck and grab you quick-- Don't let him come too near!

And if you poke him with a stick He'll seize that too--oh, dear!

Now, we'll admit he swims quite well And that he's slow ashore.

Don't ask us if he wears a shell Until we tell you more.

Don't ask us if he's fond of fish Nor seek to learn his age.

And kindly don't express a wish To see him in a rage!

Don't ask us if his claws are strong And if he has a tail.

It might be short and blunt, or long And pointed like a nail.

We do not want to cause you pain.

We would not give offense-- But, sir, you'll not come here again If you have any sense.

After the last echo of the song had lost itself in the depths of Cedar Swamp, the singers all turned, smiling, to their listener.

But his face wore no smile.

On the contrary, Timothy Turtle frowned darkly.

"You can't fool me!"

he cried.

"You don't like me!

You don't want me here!"

Ferdinand Frog swallowed a few times.

"Well," said he, "of course my manners are so elegant that I simply _couldn't_ dispute one of my elders.

And anyhow, Mr. Turtle, you'd find that our singing sounded twice as well if you were half a mile away."

"It certainly couldn't sound any worse than it does here," Timothy Turtle declared--a remark which made the Frog family grin broadly.

He said no more, but slipped into the water and struck out towards home.

There was a lively scattering of those who found themselves in Timothy Turtle's path.

And for a time it looked as if the singing party had broken up in disorder.

But after a while everybody came back again--that is, everybody but Timothy Turtle.

He hurried away and spent most of the whole night buried in the mud at the bottom of Black Creek.

For even until daybreak that merry song came floating now and then across Pleasant Valley.

And Timothy Turtle did not like it.

He thought it not only loud and long, but most unpleasant as well.

THE END

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